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The differences between electrical & instrumentation designers and electrical project engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an electrical & instrumentation designer and an electrical project engineer. Additionally, an electrical project engineer has an average salary of $84,342, which is higher than the $81,188 average annual salary of an electrical & instrumentation designer.
The top three skills for an electrical & instrumentation designer include PLC, instrumentation design and control systems. The most important skills for an electrical project engineer are project management, autocad, and PLC.
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Electrical Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $81,188 | $84,342 |
| Hourly rate | $39.03 | $40.55 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 81,243 | 67,802 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An electrical instrumentation designer's main job is to design instruments that can be used in various areas such as laboratories, power plants, or research institutes. They work together with a team or individually to design instruments, create a prototype, and test its functions. They can even install these instruments in different establishments and locations. They are tasked with repair and training engineers. At other times, they are assigned to record expenses and other documentation.
Electrical Project Engineers have licensed engineers involved in a project which specifically works on electrical or electricity-related concerns. They design the electrical systems that are needed for the success of the project. They draw up these systems using software and identify the materials needed to create these. They would then develop these systems by creating them using the materials and test if their design is working. Once they validate the design works and address the project's needs, electrical project engineers would work on controlling, maintaining, and repairing these systems as needed.
Electrical & instrumentation designers and electrical project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Electrical Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $81,188 | $84,342 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $109,000 | Between $64,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | Amazon |
| Best paying industry | - | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between an electrical & instrumentation designer and an electrical project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Electrical Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between electrical & instrumentation designers' and electrical project engineers' demographics:
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | Electrical Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8% | Male, 92.9% Female, 7.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |